Inorganic Carbon Containing Coating Material, Not As Steel (e.g., Carbide, Etc.) Patents (Class 427/577)
  • Patent number: 5776553
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for depositing diamond film, including the following steps: providing an environment comprising hydrogen gas and a hydrocarbon gas; dissociating hydrogen gas of the environment by dielectric barrier discharge to obtain atomic hydrogen; and providing a deposition surface in the environment and implementing diamond deposition on the deposition surface from the hydrocarbon gas, assisted by the atomic hydrogen. In a preferred embodiment, the atomic hydrogen is transported by molecular diffusion from its dissociation site to the deposition surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Saint Gobain/Norton Industrial Ceramics Corp.
    Inventors: Stephen M. Jaffe, Matthew Simpson, Cecil B. Shepard, Michael S. Heuser
  • Patent number: 5772760
    Abstract: A method and system for manufacturing nanocrystalline diamond film on a substrate such as field emission tips. The method involves forming a carbonaceous vapor, providing a gas stream of argon, hydrocarbon and possibly hydrogen, and combining the gas with the carbonaceous vapor, passing the combined carbonaceous vapor and gas carrier stream into a chamber, forming a plasma in the chamber causing fragmentation of the carbonaceous vapor and deposition of a diamond film on the field emission tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: The University Of Chicago
    Inventors: Dieter M. Gruen, Alan R. Krauss
  • Patent number: 5766696
    Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus including a cylindrical electrode and plural electrodes which are disposed to face the cylindrical electrode in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical electrode, the plural electrodes are designed to have the prescribed curvature corresponding to that of the surface of the cylindrical electrode. The interval between the cylindrical electrode and the plural electrodes may be fixed or stepwise varied in the circumferential direction. The area of each of the plural electrodes may be different from that of the other electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Itoh
  • Patent number: 5762110
    Abstract: A dent (1A) for a reed for use on a high-speed weaving machine, comprises a thin flat strip (3) made of stainless steel, and a hard carbon film (2) formed on only the surface of a working ridge edge portion (3b) of the thin flat strip (3) to come into sliding contact with a yarn. The method of manufacture comprising steps of superposing a plurality of thin flat strips (3) made of a stainless steel in the same shape in a stack with the flat side surfaces (3a) of the adjacent thin flat strips (3) in close contact with each other, placing the stack of thin flat strips (3) in a film forming atmosphere with the ridge edge portions opposite the working edge portions (3b) to come in sliding contact with a yarn trued up by a dent aligning jig, and coating the working ridge edge portions (3b) of the thin flat strips (3) exposed to the film forming atmosphere with a hard carbon film (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitugu Enomoto, Hideo Shinomiya, Yukio Miya, Takanori Nanya, Shinji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 5750013
    Abstract: An electrode membrane assembly structure comprises a substrate, two active catalytic layers, each active catalytic layer consisting of micro-particle metal layer(s) and porous conducting layer(s) arranged alternately, and a solid polymer membrane layer being sandwiched in said two active catalytic layers and having protonic conductivity. And a method for manufacturing an electrode membrane assembly comprises the steps of forming an active catalytic layer comprising micro-particle metal layers and porous conducting layers on a substrate by plasma sputtering deposition and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), respectively; then forming a solid polymer membrane layer having protonic conductivity on said active catalytic layer by chemical vapor deposition; and followed by further forming another active catalytic layer on said solid polymer membrane layer, all under the condition of vacuum environment, to obtain the electrode membrane assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventor: Andrew S. Lin
  • Patent number: 5750209
    Abstract: There are disclosed method and apparatus for producing a magnetic recording medium including a non-magnetic substrate, a magnetic layer formed on one surface of said non-magnetic substrate and a back coat layer formed on an opposite surface of said non-magnetic substrate. By using the method and the apparatus, the magnetic recording medium having the back coat layer, which exhibits a high lubricating property and a low dynamic friction coefficient, can be produced with a high operating efficiency. The method includes the steps of forming the back coat layer by a plasma chemical vapor deposition and supplying a lubricant, substantially at the time when the back coat layer is formed by the plasma chemical vapor deposition, such that the lubricant is introduced into the back coat layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuo Samoto
  • Patent number: 5750195
    Abstract: In a process for depositing a diamond layer from an activated gaseous mixe including hydrogen and carbon where the process is facilitated by the inclusion of oxygen in the mixture and the diamond is deposited directly on a material, such as a nitride interlayer, which is oxidized by oxygen in the activated mixture, an activated mixture without oxygen is provided at the beginning of the depositing of the diamond layer and an activated mixture containing oxygen is provided when the diamond layer attains a thickness sufficient to protect the material from oxidation by the oxygen in the activated mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Mark B. Moran
  • Patent number: 5750210
    Abstract: A composition of matter having an atomic density between that of pure diamond and at least 0.18 g-atoms per cubic centimeter and the formula:C.sub.1-z-w Si.sub.z A.sub.w ?H.sub.1-x F.sub.x !.sub.ywhere: 0.ltoreq.z+w.ltoreq.0.15, 0.ltoreq.w.ltoreq.0.05, 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.10, 0<y<1.5, and, A is boron or oxygen. Variation of the constituents and the parameters of production of the compositions in self-biasing RF cavities, or primary or secondary ion beam methods, allows formation of films of, for example, desired hardness, lubricity, density, electrical conductivity, permeability, adhesion and stress. Variation of the properties allows production of films formed by the composition as a function of depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Case Western Reserve University
    Inventors: Paul Herman Schmidt, John C. Angus
  • Patent number: 5746800
    Abstract: A glass making apparatus adapted to deposit a lubricating/detaching layer of carbon black obtained from acetylene cracking on the internal walls of a blank mold (1, 18). The glass making apparatus includes a blank mold (1, 18) having an open top and an open bottom (10); a collar (6) sized, shaped, and positioned to selectively plug the open bottom (10) of the blank mold (1, 18) during a glass forming process and to disengage from the open bottom (10) of the blank mold (1, 18) during a blank mold sooting process; a ring (7) disposed in the collar (6); a plunger (8, 14) sized, shaped, and positioned to selectively move up into the collar (6) and down out of the collar (6); and a sleeve (9) surrounding the plunger (8, 14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Avir Finanziaria S.p.A.
    Inventor: Morettin Ambrogio
  • Patent number: 5747118
    Abstract: A chemical transport process which is enhanced by a plasma formed in a substantially oxygen free hydrogen environment for formation of microcrystalline diamond films at a relatively low deposition temperature and a rate of about 1 .mu.m/hr. The process, performed at 80 to 180 Torr and a current density of about 1 amp/cm.sup.2 of substrate, can be scaled to deposit films on large areas. The invention further comprises doped diamond films produced by the process, said product having a well-faceted microcrystalline structure with x-ray diffraction pattern and Raman spectra indicative of a predominately diamond structure. The doped diamond films can function as n-type and p-type semiconductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Rointan F. Bunshah, Hans J. Doerr, Shyankay Jou
  • Patent number: 5726524
    Abstract: An electric field emission device includes an electrode that includes a layer having a dense array of discrete, solid microstructures disposed on at least a portion of one or more surfaces of a substrate, the microstructures having an areal number density of greater than 10.sup.7 /cm.sup.2, the microstructures being individually conformally overcoated with one or more layers of an electron emitting material, the overcoated electron emitting material being disposed on at least a portion of the microstructures and have a surface morphology which is nanoscopically rough. A method for preparing the electrode used in the invention is discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Mark K. Debe
  • Patent number: 5723188
    Abstract: Process for producing wear-resistant layers of cubic boron nitride or wear-resistant layers containing cubic boron nitride by sputtering with RF or DC voltage in the operating mode of an unbalanced magnetron, in which the plasma is generated by DC arc discharges or DC operated magnetron cathodes. The initial target for the production of the layer from which the material is removed comprises electrically conductive material containing boron, preferably boron carbide, and, in the process, the reactive process is conducted with the addition of N.sub.2 and Ar in such a way that the necessary stoichiometric ratio BiN in the layer can be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V
    Inventors: Holger Luthje, Klaus Bewilogua, Simone Daaud
  • Patent number: 5720808
    Abstract: In a method for forming a diamond film by a high-frequency plasma CVD method, an inductive coupling discharge is used and the frequency of a high-frequency wave is set in the range of from 40 to 250 MHz, whereby a starting gas containing carbon is decomposed in a plasma state and a diamond film is formed on a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiji Hirabayashi, Toshiaki Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 5718948
    Abstract: The invention relates to a coated cemented carbide body for rock drilling having a substrate containing at least one metal carbide and a binder metal and an at least partly covering coating comprising at least one diamond- or cBN-layer applied by CVD- or PVD-technique. The cemented carbide body has a core of cemented carbide containing eta-phase surrounded by a surface zone of cemented carbide free of eta-phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Sandvik AB
    Inventors: Stefan S. O. Ederyd, E. K. Staffen Soderberg, Udo K. R. Fischer
  • Patent number: 5714202
    Abstract: This invention discloses methods of making new and improved multi-layer coatings for gas turbine engine parts that are exposed to elevated temperatures, such as blades and vanes in the high pressure compressor and turbine of multi-stage aircraft engines, by applying a diamond film over columnar thermal barrier coatings such as yttria-stabilized zirconia, improving the erosion resistance of the thermal barrier coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Inventors: Jerome H. Lemelson, James G. Conley
  • Patent number: 5711987
    Abstract: The instant invention pertains to a multi-layer tamper proof electronic coating wherein the first layer is a protecting layer produced from preceramic silicon containing material and at least one filler. The second layer is a resin sealer coat produced from a sealer resin selected from the group consisting of colloidal inorganic-based siloxane resins, benzocyclobutene based resins, polyimide polymers, siloxane polyimides and parylenes. An optional third layer is a cap coating layer selected from SiO.sub.2 coating, SiO.sub.2 /ceramic oxide coating, silicon containing coatings, silicon carbon containing coatings, silicon nitrogen containing coatings, silicon oxygen nitrogen coatings, silicon nitrogen carbon containing coatings and/or diamond like coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Clayton R. Bearinger, Robert C. Camilletti, Loren A. Haluska, Keith W. Michael
  • Patent number: 5712000
    Abstract: Diamondlike carbon is deposited on a deposition substrate in a deposition apparatus that can be evacuated and backfilled with a carbonaceous gas. A plasma is generated in the gas by heating a filament within the chamber to produce electrons, and positively biasing the filament with respect to the deposition chamber wall to accelerate the electrons into the carbonaceous gas. The carbonaceous gas dissociates and ionizes in the resulting plasma to produce positively charged carbon ions. A deposition substrate within the chamber is negatively biased with respect to the deposition chamber wall, accelerating the carbon ions so that they are deposited onto the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Ronghua R. Wei, Jesse N. Matossian
  • Patent number: 5704976
    Abstract: A method for synthesizing large, single crystal diamond comprising mixing carbon source and a hydrogen source to form a mixture. The mixture is excited and reacted to form a reactive species in a laminar plasma plume. A substrate having a diamond seed crystal is disposed in the laminar plasma plume while maintaining the diamond seed crystal at a growth temperature between 1100.degree. and 1700.degree. C. for the deposition of diamond, thereby inducing deposition of single crystal diamond on the diamond seed crystal.An apparatus for synthesizing diamond (10;15) comprising a plasma torch (30;31) for producing a laminar plasma plume (44;54). A carbon source (CH.sub.4) and a hydrogen source (H.sub.2,CH.sub.4) are excited and reacted in the laminar plasma plume (44;54) so as to form a reactive species in the laminar plasma plume (44;54).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Keith A. Snail
  • Patent number: 5695832
    Abstract: A method for forming the coated substrate includes a first step of forming the intermediate layer on the substrate in a vacuum chamber, and a second step of forming the hard carbon film on the intermediate layer within the same vacuum chamber. The first step may involve evaporation or sputtering of material atoms for the intermediate layer, either with or without plasma generation, or directly forming a plasma from a gas containing the material atoms. The second step may involve forming a plasma from a gas that contains carbon. Another method involves generating a plasma, applying a high frequency voltage to the substrate so as to generate a self-bias of not more than -20 V, and supplying a reaction gas that contains carbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hirano, Keiichi Kuramoto, Yoichi Domoto, Seiichi Kiyama
  • Patent number: 5695830
    Abstract: A reinforcing fiber of the non-oxide ceramic type or of carbon to be used in the manufacture of a composite material with a glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic matrix, which composite exhibits good oxidative stability, is treated using a process comprising the steps consisting of: if necessary, oxidizing the fiber superficially or depositing thereon a layer of the same composition but including oxygen; placing the fiber in a chemical vapor deposition vessel; carrying out a pre-treatment at a temperature of 850.degree. to 1250.degree. C., in the presence of hydrogen, at a pressure of 50 to 300 mbar; injecting a mixture of neutral carrier gas and ammonia; stopping the injection and adjusting the pressure to a value of 1 to 10 mbar; injecting AlCl.sub.3 in a neutral diluting gas; producing on the fiber a deposit of AlN by simultaneously injecting a mixture of AlCl.sub.3 and a neutral carrier gas, and a mixture of NH.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
    Inventors: Guy Larnac, Frederic Saugnac
  • Patent number: 5693376
    Abstract: Uniform ion implantation and deposition onto cylindrical surfaces is achieved by placing a cylindrical electrode in coaxial and conformal relation to the target surface. For implantation and deposition of an inner bore surface the electrode is placed inside the target. For implantation and deposition on an outer cylindrical surface the electrode is placed around the outside of the target. A plasma is generated between the electrode and the target cylindrical surface. Applying a pulse of high voltage to the target causes ions from the plasma to be driven onto the cylindrical target surface. The plasma contained in the space between the target and the electrode is uniform, resulting in a uniform implantation or deposition of the target surface. Since the plasma is largely contained in the space between the target and the electrode, contamination of the vacuum chamber enclosing the target and electrodes by inadvertent ion deposition is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1997
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Robert P. Fetherston, Muhammad M. Shamim, John R. Conrad
  • Patent number: 5691010
    Abstract: A method of forming a diamond-like carbon film on a substrate arranged in a vacuum chamber includes the steps of generating an arc-discharge plasma current in the vacuum chamber, supplying a reaction gas containing carbon atoms, such as CH.sub.4 gas for example, into the arc-discharge plasma current, applying a high-frequency voltage to the substrate so that a self-bias developed in the substrate is not more than -200 V, and forming a diamond-like carbon film from the reaction gas on the substrate that is supplied with the high-frequency voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichi Kuramoto, Hitoshi Hirano, Yoichi Domoto, Seiichi Kiyama
  • Patent number: 5688556
    Abstract: A method of producing a multilayer polymeric film is accomplished through the vapor deposition of a barrier coating onto an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer layer, which is adhered to a polymeric substrate. A multilayer polymeric film exhibiting barrier characteristics is also accomplished through the use of an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer layer between a vapor deposited barrier coating and a polymeric substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: John R. Wagner, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5688557
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for making improved diamond coatings bonded to substrates by using intermediate bonding layers engineered to reduce the residual stress in the diamond coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Inventors: Jerome H. Lemelson, James G. Conley
  • Patent number: 5686152
    Abstract: Nucleation of diamond crystallites is initiated on electrically nonconducting substrates and on semiconducting substrates at a temperatures of 650.degree. C. or lower by providing atoms of a metal in a plasma formed by activation, as by microwave energy in a vacuum chamber, of a mixture of hydrogen and a carbon containing vapor. A continuous, adhering film of polycrystalline diamond is then grown on the substrate from the nucleated crystallites. The nucleation is effective when the substrate has a positive electric potential relative to a wall of the chamber. Positive and negative dopants may be provided in the vapor to give a semiconducting film. The nucleation and film growth are effective at the relatively low substrate temperatures so that dopant diffusion and substrate damage occurring at the usual, higher diamond film deposition temperatures are avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Inventors: Linda F. Johnson, Karl A. Klemm, Mark B. Moran
  • Patent number: 5683759
    Abstract: A method for depositing a substance, such as diamond, by plasma deposition on a substrate mounted over a madrel cooled by a heat exchange, comprising the steps of: determining the heat flux at the deposition surface of the substrate; providing, between said mandrel and said substrate, a spacer having a thermal conductance in its thickness direction that varies in accordance with said determined heat flux; and depositing said substance on said substrate by said plasma deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Celestech, Inc.
    Inventors: Cecil B. Shepard, Jr., Michael S. Heuser, Daniel V. Raney, William A. Quirk, Gregory Bak-Boychuk
  • Patent number: 5679404
    Abstract: A method for depositing a substance, such as diamond, on a surface of a substrate with temperature control, which comprises the steps of providing a cooling block having a surface that is cooled by heat exchange; supporting said substrate from said cooling block so that the bottom surface of said substrate is spaced from said cooling block surface by a gap, the size of said gap being in the range of 0.01 cm to 0.30 cm; providing a gas in said gap; and depositing said substance on the top surface of said substrate, whereby heat, resulting from said depositing of said substance, flows by conduction across said gap from said substrate to said cooling block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignees: Saint-Gobain/Norton Industrial Ceramics Corporation, Celestech, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald O. Patten, Jr., Matthew A. Simpson, Henry Windischmann, Michael S. Heuser
  • Patent number: 5679413
    Abstract: An abrasion wear resistant coated substrate product is described comprising a substrate and an abrasion wear resistant coating material comprising carbon, hydrogen, silicon, and oxygen. The abrasion wear resistant coating material has the properties of Nanoindentation hardness in the range of about 2 to about 5 GPa and a strain to microcracking greater than about 1% and a transparency greater than 85% in the visible spectrum. The coated products of the present invention are suitable for use in optical applications such as ophthalmic lenses or laser bar code scanner windows. In the method for making the products, the substrate is first chemically cleaned to remove contaminants. In the second step, the substrate is inserted into a vacuum chamber, and the air in said chamber is evacuated. In the third step, the substrate surface is bombarded with energetic ions and/or reactive species to assist in the removal of residual hydrocarbons and surface oxides, and to activate the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Monsanto Company
    Inventors: Rudolph Hugo Petrmichl, Bradley J. Knapp, Fred M. Kimock, Brian Kenneth Daniels
  • Patent number: 5679411
    Abstract: In a method for producing corrosion and wear resistant coatings on iron material, in which subsurface areas are enriched with nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen, the iron material is nitrocarburized for forming a connective coating of carbonitride. The surface of the iron material is activated with a plasma-supported vacuum process. The ion material is subsequently oxidized to form a continuous oxide coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Metaplas Ionon Oberflachenveredelungstechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Steffen Hoppe
  • Patent number: 5677051
    Abstract: A magnetic recording medium possessing excellent electromagnetic characteristics, corrosion resistance, durability, abrasion resistance and lubricity, has an undercoat layer, a ferromagnetic metal layer, a protective layer and a lubricating layer formed in this order on a non-magnetic substrate, or has an undercoat layer, a ferromagnetic metal layer, an intercepting layer, a protective layer and a lubricating layer formed in this order on a non-magnetic substrate, wherein the protective layer is a plasma-polymerized hydrogen-containing carbon film having a refractive index of 1.90 or more and a contact angle of less than 80 degrees, the film thickness of the protective layer or the total film thickness of the protective layer and the intercepting layer is 30 to 150 .ANG., the undercoat layer, as well as the intercepting layer, is a film formed of silicon oxide represented by SiOx (x=1.8-1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiro Ueda, Masatoshi Nakayama, Kiyoshi Yazu, Koji Kobayashi, Hiromichi Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 5674638
    Abstract: An improved wear-resistant protective coating for the surfaces of magnetic recording media devices that is formed of fluorinated diamond-like carbon and deposited by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process or other suitable methods to provide superior friction-reducing and stiction-reducing properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred Grill, Vishnubhai Vitthalbhai Patel
  • Patent number: 5674573
    Abstract: A method for synthesizing a hard diamond-like thin film on a rotating substrate, the method comprising the steps of: generating plasma of gas containing hydrocarbon gas, in a first vacuum vessel having an inflow portion and an outflow portion for the gas such that the substrate is provided in a second vacuum vessel maintained at a pressure lower, by a factor of 10 or more, than that of the first vacuum vessel due to flow resistance of the gas between the outflow portion and the substrate; and irradiating the plasma onto the substrate by pressure difference between the first vacuum vessel and the second vacuum vessel while an AC power is being applied to a mesh-shaped internal electrode provided in the first vacuum vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Mitani, Hirokazu Nakaue, Hideo Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 5672395
    Abstract: A method for treating as as-grown chemical vapor deposited (CVD) starting diamond film having stresses and containing voids, comprises the step of subjecting the diamond film to a temperature of above about 1000.degree. C. and a hydrostatic pressure of above about 3 kilobars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Anthony, William F. Banholzer, Clifford L. Spiro, Steven W. Webb, Bradley E. Williams
  • Patent number: 5672383
    Abstract: A carbon coated polymeric film is produced by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition. An amorphous nylon layer having at least one exposed high energy surface is adhered to a polymeric substrate. Carbon is thereafter deposited on the exposed high energy surface by vapor deposition of a decomposable precursor in the presence of plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Wagner, Jr., Eldridge M. Mount, III
  • Patent number: 5667852
    Abstract: The invention relates to electronics and optical industry technology. Deposition of diamond and diamond-like films is performed in a plasma flux at atmospheric pressure at a temperature T=10.sup.4 .degree. K. A mixture of hydrocarbons and hydrogen is fed to a plasma flux formed by the confluence of a plurality of jets. As a result of the processes occurring in the plasma flux, there is deposited on the substrate a diamond or diamond-like film having a high degree of adhesion to the substrate, at a rate of 1 micron/sec, which substantially exceeds the rate of deposition of similar films by known methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Overseas Publishers Association
    Inventors: Pavel P. Kulik, Vladimir V. Ivanov, Eugenia N. Zornia, John A. Gay
  • Patent number: 5662965
    Abstract: Crystalline carbon-based thin film structures are formed in which a compositionally-graded intermediate layer is first deposited on a substrate, and a crystalline carbon-based thin film such as silicon carbide or diamond is deposited thereafter on the intermediate layer. The compositionally-graded intermediate layer has a carbon content which increases in a direction away from the substrate. The compositionally-graded intermediate layer is effective in reducing problems associated with the lattice mismatch between the thin film and the substrate which hamper conventional hetero-epitaxial growth of high quality crystalline carbon-based thin films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Deguchi, Masatoshi Kitagawa, Takashi Hirao
  • Patent number: 5660894
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for depositing diamond by chemical vapor deposition without using conventionally-used hydrogen, which is an explosive gas, as a reaction gases. The process includes contacting a substrate with a two-component gas mixture, under the conditions of a substrate temperature of 150.degree. C.-900.degree. C., a pressure of 1-50 torr, an input microwave power of 250-450 W. The two-component gas mixture is a hydrocarbon (C.sub.x H.sub.y) plus CO.sub.2 with a flow rate ratio of the C.sub.x H.sub.y to CO.sub.2 of 0.2-0.8, or a gasified liquid state oxygen-containing hydrocarbon (C.sub.x H.sub.y O.sub.z) plus CO.sub.2 with a flow rate ratio of the C.sub.x H.sub.y O.sub.z to CO.sub.2 of 12-17. High quality diamond can be obtained even at low temperature of 180.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: National Science Council
    Inventors: Chia-Fu Chen, Sheng-Hsiung Chen, Tsao-Ming Hong
  • Patent number: 5654044
    Abstract: A continuous, adhering film of polycrystalline diamond is grown on a grape substrate from diamond crystallites nucleated at a metal layer on the substrate when subjected to a microwave activated plasma of hydrogen and a carbon containing gas. Pyrolytic graphite and cured graphite adhesive are effective and other forms of graphite may be effective. Effective metals are chromium, nickel, and titanium. Diamond nucleation apparently occurs at crystallites of metal carbides nucleated by carbon from the plasma so that other carbide forming metals may be effective. Metal not nucleated as the carbide is, apparently, etched away by the plasma; and the diamond film is effectively deposited directly on the graphite since the diamond film is not contaminated by the metal even at the graphite interface where carbide contamination was less than 0.2 percent from a 2500 .ANG. chromium film. The diamond film deposition occurs at substrate temperatures as low as 650.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Mark B. Moran, Karl A. Klemm, Linda F. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5650201
    Abstract: A process for depositing carbon nitride films on substrates or work pieces by means of plasma assisted energy controlled ion beam deposition. The process produces microscopically smooth, nearly stress free, insulating and transparent carbon nitride thin films at room (or elevated) temperature. In the process the substrate, tool or other component to be coated is placed in a vacuum chamber at room temperature and is acted upon by a source of negative carbon ions and a high flux plasma source of nitrogen radicals. The source of C.sup.- ions is hydrogen free and provides particle energies suitable for the production of films of high quality carbon nitride. The source of the nitrogen flux provides a high density of nitrogen radicals to interact with the C.sup.- ion beam and coat the substrate with carbon nitride. In a further embodiment of the process, which provides an even higher deposition rate, a source of N.sup.+ is added which provides charge neutralization and surface nitridation prior to deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1997
    Assignee: Structured Materials Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Gary Steven Tompa
  • Patent number: 5650202
    Abstract: Methods of forming a platinum deposit on a nonconductive substrate are diosed, comprising the steps of hydrophobically treating a carbon black powder, forming a solution of chloroplatinic acid, suspending the hydrophobically treated carbon black powder in the chloroplatinic acid, immersing a nonconductive substrate in the chloroplatinic acid and adding formaldehyde to said chloroplatinic acid. The hydrophobically carbon black powder suspended in the chloroplatinic acid catalyzes and drives the reduction of platinum within the chloroplatinic acid toward the nonconductive substrate and reduces the chloroplatinic acid forming metallic platinum on the nonconductive substrate. In a preferred embodiment, a platinum deposit is formed on a glass substrate immersed in the chloroplatinic acid and the step of hydrophobically treating the carbon black powder is accomplished by adding a CF.sub.4 gas plasma to the carbon black powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1997
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Robert J. Mammone, Deryn D. Chu, Michael Binder
  • Patent number: 5645900
    Abstract: Composite films consisting of diamond crystallites and hard amorphous films such as diamond-like carbon, titanium nitride, and titanium oxide are provided as protective coatings for metal substrates against extremely harsh environments. A composite layer having diamond crystallites and a hard amorphous film is affixed to a metal substrate via an interlayer including a bottom metal silicide film and a top silicon carbide film. The interlayer is formed either by depositing metal silicide and silicon carbide directly onto the metal substrate, or by first depositing an amorphous silicon film, then allowing top and bottom portions of the amorphous silicon to react during deposition of the diamond crystallites, to yield the desired interlayer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Tiong P. Ong, Yuh-han Shing
  • Patent number: 5642632
    Abstract: In knitting parts (a jacquard guide needle, a guide, a needle, a tongue, a sinker, a separator, etc.), each having a portion which is brought into contact with a knitting yarn when fitted to a knitting machine to perform knitting, the surface of a portion of a metallic part base material (10) thereof is coated with a compound plating layer (12) made of a non-electrolytic nickel alloy plating layer including minute silicon particles dispersed therein, each of the silicon particles being coated with a hard carbon film. As a result, it is possible to improve the durability of the knitting parts similarly to those in which the surface of the part base material is coated with the hard carbon film and moreover remarkably reduce the processing cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Nanya, Nobuyuki Yoshino
  • Patent number: 5643639
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating plasmas adapted for chemical vapor deposition, etching and other operations, and in particular to the deposition of large-area diamond films, wherein a chamber defined by sidewalls surrounding a longitudinal axis is encircled by an axially-extending array of current-carrying conductors that are substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the chamber, and a gaseous material is provided in the chamber. A high-frequency current is produced in the conductors to magnetically induce ionization of the gaseous material in the chamber and form a plasma sheath that surrounds and extends along the longitudinal axis and conforms to the sidewalls of the chamber. A work surface extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the chamber is positioned adjacent a sidewall, exposed to the plasma sheath and treated by the plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: Research Triangle Institute
    Inventors: Ronald Alan Rudder, Robert Carlisle Hendry, George Carlton Hudson
  • Patent number: 5637353
    Abstract: The coated substrate product finds particular application in eyeglass and sunglass lenses, architectural glass, analytical instrument windows, automotive windshields and laser bar code scanners for use in retail stores and supermarkets. The product has greatly improved wear resistance for severe abrasive environments and comprises a substantially optically transparent substrate, one or more chemically vapor deposited interlayers bonded to the substrate and a chemically vapor deposited outer layer of optically transparent or substantially optically transparent hard and low friction material bonded to the interlayer and away from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Assignee: Monsanto Company
    Inventors: Fred M. Kimock, Bradley J. Knapp, Steven J. Finke, John V. Galdieri
  • Patent number: 5635256
    Abstract: At least the surface region of a cutting tool substrate made of tungsten carbide in a cobalt matrix is carburized to chemically passivate the cobalt prior to deposition of diamond film on it. The passivation improves adhesion by preventing reaction of the cobalt with the diamond in the course of the deposition process. To further improve adhesion of the diamond, cobalt is removed from the exposed surfaces of the tungsten carbide grains by heat treatment in inert gas or by hydrogen plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: St. Gobain/Norton Industrial Ceramics Corporation
    Inventor: James M. Olson
  • Patent number: 5635258
    Abstract: A method of forming boron-doped diamond film by, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) utilizing two-component system reactant gas doped with trimethyl borate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: National Science Council
    Inventors: Chia-Fu Chen, Sheng-Hsiung Chen, Tsao-Ming Hong
  • Patent number: 5628920
    Abstract: An organic layer for subsequent coating with a cover layer which is harder than the organic layer, and a process for surface treatment of the organic layer. In order to improve the quality of a subsequently applied cover layer, growth nuclei for the cover layer, which exhibit sp.sup.2 and/or sp.sup.3 bonding orbital hybridization, are arranged and/or exposed on the free surface of the organic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG
    Inventors: Hans-Juergen Fuesser, Karl Holdik, Klaus Rohwer, Martin Hartweg
  • Patent number: 5626908
    Abstract: Method for coating a substrate formed of a sintered silicon nitride based material with a film of diamond by a gas phase synthesis technique including a first step of applying a film having a thickness of 0.5 to 2.0 .mu.m at a temperature not higher than a temperature at which grain boundary components of the substrate volatilize, and a second step of synthesizing the film of diamond-and-the-like to a thickness of 5 to 100 .mu.at a temperature which expedites synthesis of the film of diamond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Iio, Masakazu Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5624719
    Abstract: A method for synthesizing diamond by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is described. The method produces diamond of high purity and high crystallizability having various uses at low cost and at high speed. In a first method, a mixture of oxygen gas and a carbon-containing compound gas, and optionally an inert gas, is introduced into a reaction vessel. In a second method, a mixture containing at least one of fluorine gas, chlorine gas, a nitrogen oxide gas, sulfur dioxide, an aforementioned mixture of oxygen gas and a carbon-containing compound gas, or a mixture thereof with an inert gas is introduced into the reaction vessel. A plasma is generated by use of an electromagnetic field, thereby producing diamond on a base material placed in the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichiro Tanabe, Takahiro Imai, Naoji Fujimori
  • Patent number: 5618619
    Abstract: An abrasion wear resistant coated substrate product is described comprising a substrate and an abrasion wear resistant coating material comprising carbon, hydrogen, silicon, and oxygen. The abrasion wear resistant coating material has the properties of Nanoindentation hardness in the range of about 2 to about 5 GPa and a strain to microcracking greater than about 1% and a transparency greater than 85% in the visible spectrum. The coated products of the present invention are suitable for use in optical applications such as ophthalmic lenses or laser bar code scanner windows. In the method for making the products, the substrate is first chemically cleaned to remove contaminants. In the second step, the substrate is inserted into a vacuum chamber, and the air in said chamber is evacuated. In the third step, the substrate surface is bombarded with energetic ions and/or reactive species to assist in the removal of residual hydrocarbons and surface oxides, and to activate the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: Monsanto Company
    Inventors: Rudolph H. Petrmichl, Bradley J. Knapp, Fred M. Kimock, Brian K. Daniels